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Collation Filters Filter The historic centre and the romantic beach area are distinct yet integrated in harmony and perfect for a leisurely stroll. Your attention will be attracted by traces from the Middle Ages, the early period of the elegant resort, the long Soviet era or our modern day developments.
We advise taking trips into the county and following the routes of Western, Northern and Southern Sun Journeys. There are a host of enchanting (coastal) villages, churches, manorial estates, museums, arts and crafts workshops and natural heritage sites to be seen. The most important attractions of the county are the island of Kihnu with its traditional culture, included in the UNESCO’s list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage, and Soomaa National Park with its famous “fifth season”. Tõstamaa manor, recently restored to its former glory and home to a local school, an ancient Estonian stronghold at Soontagana, the Estonian Museum Railway at Lavassaare, Carl Robert Jakobson’s farm museum at Kurgja, fishermen’s villages on the Old-Riga road running south along the coast from Pärnu, to name but a few, are awaiting to be visited.
Allikukivi koopad
You can see larger underground caves on the slope of the Allikukivi Valley near Kilingi-Nõmme Town. The caves that were created by subsurface water were found in 1961. They are 33 m long and up to 2.7 m high. The ground water that gather on the bottom of the caves runs into the valley as a small spring on its slope.
Bring a torch and take a closer look at this mysterious place.
Useful information!
According to a legend, a wealthy farm sank into the ground at this place. It was punished because the family living on the farm refused to give anything to a beggar during a wedding party. Read more
Ammende Villa
Villa Ammende is one of the best examples of early art nouveau style in Estonia. The grand villa with a large garden was built in 1905 and belonged to the Ammende merchant family. The façades and interiors of the house were abundant, rich in detail and diverse, but also very stylish.
The family went bankrupt after the First World War and the villa was sold to Pärnu City. The house has been used as a summer casino and a club. The villa has now been restored and turned into a luxurious hotel and restaurant, and it looks more stylish and art nouveau than even before. Concerts and art exhibitions are often held in the villa and guests can also enjoy its beautiful green garden. Read more
Audru mõisakompleks
The Audru Manor complex, which has belonged to the Pilar von Pilchau family since the start of the 19th century, is a typical ensemble of manor buildings. 14 buildings have been relatively well preserved until today.
The mansion was unfortunately destroyed in the Second World War and the office of a state farm was built in its stead.
The oldest building of the manor ensemble is the stone barn with a high saddle roof and walls that are more than a metre thick.
You can also take a look at the natural stone distillery with a tall chimney, the granary and the manager’s house, which is now home to the rural municipality’s museum. The manor is surrounded by a beautiful park where you can take a walk between the trees and see the Audru River with its four bridges. Read more
Audru Püha Risti luteri kirik
Audru Church, which was built in 1680, is one of the few 17th century rural churches left in Estonia.
The baroque-style plastered church has a tall and slim gothic tower. A beautiful vaulted ceiling hangs above the spacious church hall and the church's benches, pulpit, altar wall and grid, and the organ balcony on the western wall all date back to the 19th century. Lady of the manor Pilar von Pilchau donated Gustav Biermann’s altar painting 'Christ on the Cross' to the church in 1872.
Useful information!
Audru church was built under the patronage of great church builder Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie, who built 37 churches in Sweden. Read more
Eesti Apostliku Õigeusu Pärnu Issandamuutmise kirik
Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Pärnu Transformation of Our Lord Church
Due to the massive religious conversion at the end of the 19th century, the 18th-century Ekateriina's Church became too small for the Pärnu orthodox congregation. So, in 1904, the historic Old Russian-style Pärnu Transformation of Our Lord Apostolic Orthodox Church was built and its congregation (Estonian) was separated from the former congregation of Ekateriina's congregation (Russian).
The church had a typical to that time brick facade and a base of granite ashlar work. The campanile is 38 m high and the cupola 34 m high. The altar wall holds 11 icons and 11 major wall paintings with figurative composition. Read more
Eliisabeti kirik
Eliisabet's Church
Eliisabet's Church, inaugurated in 1750, is the most outstanding sacral building of the Baroque period in Estonia. The beautiful church in the centre of Pärnu invites you to step in and look around to see a pulpit in the Neo-Gothic style from the middle of the 19th century, the altar and the altarpiece “Resurrection”. One of the best organs in Estonia is in Eliisabet's Church and the place is popular as a concert hall among music lovers.
Interesting to know!
The church got its name from Russian Empress Jelizaveta thanks to whom the congregation got a Lutheran church. Read more
Endla seltsimaja monument
Monument of Endla Society House
A monument to the former Endla Society House was opened on Rüütli Square to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. The place is of historical importance, because the Estonian manifest of independence was declared publicly from the balcony of this building for the first time in the evening of the 23rd of February 1918.
The monument depicts the balcony of the Society House on the wall of which the manifest of independence is written in the old and modern language, and Braille.
Interesting to know!
After the war it was planned to rebuild Endla Society House in its former location but due to political reasons the ruins were liquidated. Pärnu Hotel stands on that place today. Read more
Häädemeeste Issandamuutmise apostliku-õigeusu kirik
80% of people in Häädemeeste converted from the Lutheran faith to Orthodoxy in the 1840s in the hope that they would gain some land for adopting the religion of their ruler, the Emperor of Russia. This invitation was given to people all over Estonia. The first Orthodox congregation in the area, Häädemeeste, was created in 1849 and the church was built in 1872. The brick building was plastered and its highest point is the tower with an onion dome above the western entrance. The stucco decor above the windows of the church is the feature that makes it memorable. The three-storey iconostasis in eclectic style is the most remarkable feature of the rich decor inside the church. Read more
Häädemeeste Miikaeli luteri kirik
Häädemeeste Lutheran Church was built in 1874, about the same time as the Apostolic Orthodox Church, and even though it is smaller than the latter, it is definitely a worthy opponent. The nature stone church in historicist-eclectic style is enlivened by red brick details and two rows of windows with sharp arches on the upper ones and segmented arches on the lower.
The house of God was given a slate roof when it was built. People tell a story about how wealthy ship-owners promised to buy the material needed for the roof, so the builders decided to take what they could and selected the most expensive material. Read more
J.V. Jannseni skulptuur
Sculpture of Johann Voldemar Jannsen
On Rüütli street situates the modern city sculpture perfect example - the life-size sculpture of Johann Voldemar Jannsen, the father of Estonian journalism. Hard hat in one hand and newspaper in the other he is like stopped for a moment to peek into today's Pärnu Postimees office windows!
Interesting to know!
According to belief touching the page of Perno Postimees in Jannsen's hand will bring you good news this day!
Monument created by professor Mati Karmin was ordered by Pärnu Postimees for 150th birthday of newspaper Perno Postimees that first came out in 1857. Read more
Jekateriina kirik
Church of Jekaterina
Completed in 1768, the Church of Jekaterina is the most style pure and ample baroque church in Estonia. The design of facades characteristically for baroque disjunct and relief, the six broaches are finished with slender needle-shaped tips that add lightness and festiveness to the building. Since church is built a century before the majority of orthodox churches, it differs from them from architectural point of view but at the same time it has influenced the development of orthodox church architecture in whole Balticum.
Interesting to know!
Pärnu church of Jekaterina was built by order and with financing of Russian queen Catherine the II.
To this day Pärnu Russian congregation operates in the church. Read more
Jõulumäe Tervisespordikeskuse matkarada
There is a nature trail (5 km) in the pine forest on the dunes near Jõulumäe Health Centre and also three longer marked hiking trails (10, 15 and 25 km). The longest of them reaches the Rannametsa-Tolkuse Nature Trail.
You can buy the Jõulumetsa orienteering card with 20 permanent checkpoints from the administrator (25 kroons) and use it to go and discover the surroundings. Read more
Kaisma terviserada
Lake Kaisma Suurjärv is a 1.2 km² fen lake in the northern part of Pärnu County. It is connected to Lake Kaisma Väikejärv in the middle of the fens and the area between the two lakes is a prime example of untouched nature.
The 1.3 km exercise track runs around Lake Kaisma Suurjärv and gives you the chance to enjoy the beauty of the lake, fens and forests. Parts of the track are boardwalks. You will find a map of the track at its start. There are many information boards introducing the nature and a watchtower on the track.
You can hire a boat from the rest area next to the lake and go out onto the lake. You can also spend the night and go to the sauna, set up a tent or stay in a caravan. Read more
Kihnu Püha Nikolai kirik
Kihnu Church, built in 1784, is one of the few orthodox churches converted from a Lutheran sacral building. Almost all Kihnu people converted to orthodoxy from 1846 to 1847, the Lutheran church was given to the orthodox congregation by order of Tsar Nicholas I and an onion dome was built on the bell tower. Inside the church, you can admire a simple but beautiful iconostasis that covers almost the entire width of the room.
Useful information!
The old Kihnu Church, which is really a chapel, was located on the northern tip of the island on a high sandy coast and according to a legend, it was destroyed in a fire during the Great Northern War. Read more
Kihnu saar
Kihnu island is a peculiar alloy of contemporary and the past. Proclaimed by UNESCO Kihnu culture space is living and functioning till nowadays. Kihnu women wear every day self woven traditional skirts (kört), already small children know Kihnu dances and songs and Kihnu dialect is taught in the school.
The sea surrounding Kihnu island is low and stony, around the island there are a lot of little islets. Kihnu strait is the high importance gathering place for birds and nesting area for birds endangered in Europe.
7 km long and 3,3 km large Kihnu island has perfect size for exploring it by bicycle! Read more
Kihnu tuletorn
Kihnu lighthouse situates on the most southern tip of Pitkänä nose. Lighthouse was brought here in 1864 from England dismounted in pieces and was mounted back on the place. It is one of the four cast iron towers that are extant on our shores. Tower is white, conical shaped and equipped with lamp locker and balcony. The height of the light from the sea level is 31 m and from the ground 29 m.
Unfortunately it is not possible to climb up the tower, but at the foot of lighthouse it will be comfy for you to lay on the grass and daydream in the sea wind!
Interesting to know!
Tower was built at the same time as Vormsi and Virtsu lighthouses and is similar to them from outside. Read more
Lindi looduskaitseala
Lindi Fen and its small and picturesque lakes form the centre of the 11,000 hectare Lindi Nature Conservation Area by the Pärnu-Tõstamaa Road. There are also many different plant and bird species, swamp communities and forests (more than 20 different types!).
You can take a look at the nature conservation area from the viewing tower by the road as no hiking tracks have been built yet. You can go for a walk in the swamp, but you have to make sure you will not damage the delicate landscape.
Useful information!
The southern part of the swamp is rich in blueberries, cranberries and mushrooms in autumn. Read more
Luitemaa looduskaitseala
Luitemaa Nature Conservation Area covers the most beautiful part of south-western Estonia. Coastal meadows rich in bird species are one of the biggest values of the conservation area. You can climb the bird-watching towers on the coast (e.g. Pulgoja) to take a look at the coastal meadows and the beautiful coastal landscape.
Dunes that mark the coastline of 5000 years ago line the entire Pärnu Bay, but they are the biggest in Luitemaa. The Tornimägi and Tõotusemägi in the coastal forest are the highest dunes in Estonia.
The beautiful Tolkuse and Soometsa fens can be found between the dunes and the pine forests growing on the tunes are popular among people who like picking berries and mushrooms as well as people who go out to exercise. Read more
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